A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is

Fourthly, In our natural uncleanness is declared our manifest similitude and agreement with the Devils themselves, that we and they are now under the same consideration, for man is naturally unclean, and the Devils have this appropriated attribute all along the New Testament for the most part, that they are the unclean spirits. The Devil is an unclean spirit, and man is unclean in body and spirit; Hence because of this natural pollution, we are all by nature the seed of the Serpent; The Devils is said to rule in us, and we are therefore under his Kingdom, for being not born in a state of grace, but of sin, we are therefore under his dominion; and upon this supposition even in Austin's time there were exorcisms used at the Baptism of Infants, which was not a Scripture institution, no more than giving honey and milk to the baptized child, which was very ancient, and yet now laid aside even by the Roman Church it self, that amongst other Rites in Baptism, they had this of exorcisms and insufflation, by which they signified, not that the child was possessed bodily with the Devil, but that it was under the power of him. This Austin instanceth in, to Julian the Pelagian, where he tels him, Ipse à toto orbe exufflandus esset, si huic exufflationi qua princeps mundi ⟨p. 54⟩ejicitur for as contradicere voluist is; I mention not this to allow or commend that Ceremony, for it was an absurd one, though brought into the Church betimes, for it had been happy, if the Church always had contented her self, with the pure, plain and sole institutions of Christ, but to inform you, what even the ancient Church thought about Infants new born, that they were wholly under the power of the Devils. Yea the Heathens had some kind of confused knowledge about this (as in time may be showed) for they had a custom with them of expiating and cleansing of their Infants, as being unclean.

Fourthly, In our natural uncleanness is declared our manifest similitude and agreement with the Devils themselves, that we and they are now under the same consideration, for man is naturally unclean, and the Devils have this appropriated attribute all along the New Testament for the most part, that they are the unclean spirits. The Devil is an unclean spirit, and man is unclean in body and spirit; Hence because of this natural pollution, we are all by nature the seed of the Serpent; The Devils is said to rule in us, and we are therefore under his Kingdom, for being not born in a state of grace, but of sinne, we are therefore under his dominion; and upon this supposition even in Austin's time there were exorcisms used at the Baptism of Infants, which was not a Scripture institution, no more than giving honey and milk to the baptized child, which was very ancient, and yet now laid aside even by the Roman Church it self, that amongst other Rites in Baptism, they had this of exorcismes and insufflation, by which they signified, not that the child was possessed bodily with the Devil, but that it was under the power of him. This Austin instanceth in, to Julian the Pelagian, where he tels him, Ipse à toto orbe exufflandus esset, si huic exufflationi qua princeps mundi